


Anywhere but Pang Noi

by piningbisexuals



Category: Dew Let's Go Together | ดิว ไปด้วยกันนะ (Movie)
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 05:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26347522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piningbisexuals/pseuds/piningbisexuals
Summary: Dew doesn’t have an accident on his way to the train station. He doesn’t pass away. Instead, he’s there for Pop.
Relationships: Pop/Dew
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Anywhere but Pang Noi

**Author's Note:**

> I loved Dew the Movie. The first part of it is executed with such brilliance (both ohm & nont were incredible) that I can't help but rewatch it at least once a month. One of my favorite quotes from it is "anywhere but Pang Noi", which obviously inspired the title of this fic. It's repeated many times throughout the movie, so much so that I couldn't help but picture what things would be for Pop & Dew, anywhere but Pang Noi. I hope you'll enjoy it :)
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @piningbisexuals!

Five minutes. Five minutes and the train would be here. Pop wondered if the empty feeling he was going through would ever stop. It hurt so much, right there, in his chest, that he felt like he would burst out into tears at any moment.

It was late. Almost midnight, in that deserted train station. There were only two other people there, an older woman and her underage son. They looked like they were running away too, with a small bag each and bruises on their faces and arms. It didn’t take a detective to understand what was happening here.

They were fleeing from an abusive person too, just like Pop. Because no matter how much it hurt to have lost everything in the span of a night,  he had long feared his dad, even before he met Dew. As awful as it sounded, he didn’t know when was the last time he’d felt love for the man that had brought him to life. From his excessive anger to his culture difference with his son, Pop had difficulty trusting him. And now he would never have to do that again.

Two minutes. Maybe the train would be late. Pop didn’t know why he was still hoping that Dew would show up. The truth is that he didn’t know how he could run away without him. He had no clothes, barely any money… Without Dew, he’d probably be home begging his dad to have him back in a few days.

He would miss him, too. Pop had never been in love before, and it was scary to think that maybe he would never see him again in this lifetime. He wasn’t sure he could live a whole existence without him either.

The train arrived. It was too loud for this time of the night. Pop felt his heart sink when he realized that Dew was truly not coming. So, this was really the end. With a last sigh, Pop looked around the station before climbing on the first step.

“I’m here!”

Without even turning around, Pop felt himself smile. He still looked at Dew who was running in his direction with a bag in hand. At least he seemed to have taken clothes.

“Hurry up!”

Dew arrived at the doors and rushed inside as they closed behind him seconds later. They barely looked at each other before throwing themselves into each other’s arms.

“Pop,” Dew whispered near his ear.  
“You came,” was all he could respond.

“Hm.”

He did not go in depth but Pop knew he had just made an enormous choice, abandoning his mom for him. Pop would never forget it.

He caressed his back for a moment, before detaching from him and guiding him to the nearest wagon. The train was mostly empty and they sat at the very end of it so nobody could see them.

And as it started moving, Dew’s head fall on his shoulder. Pop took his hand, letting his head fall on top of his. Now, no matter what happened, they’d be together.

They woke up as the train arrived in Bangkok, the warmth of the morning sunlight seeping through the thin curtains covering the windows. Pop knew Dew could see he was panicking as they stepped foot in the train station. After all, they had only 3000 bahts and were in a completely unknown city.

Dew had squeezed his shoulder in reassurance, all they could do in that station, and they had gone out into the city. For their first night, they had stayed in the cheapest hotel they could find, already eating away a huge chunk of their budget. Pop wished he could’ve brought his motorcycle with him, at least that would make moving around the city much easier.

The next day, they decided to separate and spend the whole day asking for someone to give them a job and lodge them. Pop went to the left, Dew to the right. They would meet back at 5 PM in front of their hotel.

The entire day, Pop went from store to store, begging owner after owner to give them a job. They’d do anything, he kept repeating. Yet he was turned down every time. By the time he walked back to their hotel in time for the meeting, Pop’s moral was at an all-time low. He was scared of what would happen if they couldn’t find a job in the next few days.

Dew was a little late. Pop propped himself against a wall and waited, the smothering warmth of Bangkok making him feel a little sick.

Suddenly, Dew was running up to him, breathless, but sporting a huge grin.

“Pop!” he exclaimed. “I found us a job!”

Pop was now wide awake, warmth and exhaustion all gone in an instant. “Where?”

“Hear me out,” Dew said, biting his lip. “I know you’ll be weary but it’s a clothing store owned by two homosexual men. They’re not weird at all, and they offered to lodge us until we could find an apartment.”

Pop sighed. “You’re sure they’re not gonna try to do anything to us?”

Dew shook his head. “Listen, go meet them and then we’ll take a decision, okay?”

Dew was right. Pop was greeted by a large but short man with a beard and a welcoming smile.

“Oww, Nong, is this your boyfriend?”

As Pop made a panicked face at Dew, the man replied with a chuckle. “Don’t worry honey, you can’t fool me. I knew at first glance that your boyfriend was one of ours.”

Pop nodded slowly, gulping down. The man didn’t look like he was a pervert.

“Welcome, my name is P’Cha. My husband will be back soon, but as I said to Nong Dew you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need. We homosexuals have to look out for our own.”

Pop couldn’t help but notice the way that man kept lumping them together with him. As if all homosexuals were the same. Pop wasn’t even fully one either.

“Are you gonna take advantage of us?” he finally asked.

P'Cha chuckled. “I see you have a good mindset. Stay like that, protect yourselves. But as I said I have a husband and I’m really happy with him. Young boys like you aren’t my style.”

“Why would you give us those jobs and a room in your home, then?”

P’Cha turned to look at Dew. “Well, Dew told me what happened to you both. And sadly it’s a story I’ve heard way too many times. It happened to me. And when I was your age, running away from my own family, I would’ve wanted some older homosexuals taking care of me, as friends.”

Pop nodded slowly, glancing at Dew who squeezed his hand softly. He must have known Pop now trusted that man.

“I’m back!”

Another man entered the store, this time a cleanly shaven tall and thin guy. Pop felt himself smirk. Those guys were quite the pair. He passed an arm around P’Cha and smiled at him.

“You must be Nong Dew’s boyfriend. I’m P’Pak. You’re coming to move in, right?”

All eyes were now on him, expecting his decision. With a smile, he nodded. “Yes.”

“Great! Let me take your bag, Dew, and I’ll guide you both to your room!”

Pop would never get used to sharing a bed with Dew. It was as though they were a married couple, if boys could get married to each other. His hair were always messy when he woke up, which made Pop’s heart skip a beat every morning. His buzz-cut was more practical, but much less cute.

“Good morning.”

Dew had opened his eyes now. It was very early, and P’Cha would be knocking on their door any minute from now, but Pop felt incredibly calm. His favorite parts of the day were when they woke up and went to sleep. Their room was tiny, with only space for a small two-person bed and a bookcase containing a few stray novels and CDs as well as a radio.

“Good morning,” Pop smiled, caressing his messy hair into a more acceptable hairstyle.

Dew left a small peck on his lips. Pop chuckled, hugging him tightly, his head ending up against his chest. He didn’t feel so sad lately. He thought he would’ve been depressed for the rest of his life, yet he felt okay. The happiness of being with Dew sort of balanced the rest. Them not being completely alone in the big city helped too.

The usual waking up knock on their door came, making them both startle a little bit.

“Wake up, P’Pak brought us breakfast!”

With a sigh they both got up and walked down the stairs. Their hosts were unpacking their freshly bought breakfast into bowls, flirty smiles on their faces as if they hadn’t been together for 20 years.

It had surprised Pop at first, to know that they’d stayed with the one they had fallen in love with at 20. Pop didn’t think it was possible for things to continue this long between guys, them being portrayed as promiscuous and all. But P’Cha and P’Pak… they were like a regular married couple. Except they weren’t married.

“Eat a lot you guys, we have many things to do today.”

Most days were pretty much the same: Pop delivered clothes to clients on P’Pak’s motorcycle while Dew helped at the shop. A day or two a week, he’d go at the local market with P’Pak to sell their clothes there.

Pop thought it was a good deal for being lodged and nourished, as well as getting a few hundred bahts a month for them to spend on what they wanted.

After a few weeks, they had both kinda gotten used to it, and Pop could say he felt more comfortable around their lodgers too. Even though P’Cha was a little blunt for him.

Dew had gone to the market with P’Pak and Pop had already delivered all the clothes for the day, leaving him in the store with P’Cha. It was a particularly slow day, the first one since they’d been there.

“Nong Pop, can I ask you something?” P’Cha wondered, leaning around the counter.

Pop turned to look at him and nodded.

“Listen,” he uttered, touching his forearm in comfort, “I know you’ll be uncomfortable but I have to say this, for your and Dew’s health. Are you protecting yourselves?”

Pop choked on the air he was breathing. “Pardon me?”

P’Cha rolled his eyes. “You heard me. Condoms, are you using them?”

The teenager was certain he was as red as a tomato. “Y- yes,” he answered, half a whisper half a groan.

“Good,” P’Cha grinned, patting him on the shoulder.

They stayed silent for a moment, the older man staring at him with what was probably an understanding gaze. But Pop just felt awkward, so he rushed upstairs to their room. 

“I… I’m gonna take a nap if you don’t need me!” he declared as he was already moving.

Once the door shut, Pop sighed. Talking about condoms with P’Cha would count as the most embarrassing moment of his life. He plopped himself on their mattress and attempted to close his eyes.

After a few minutes, a buzz started resonating in the room. Pop furrowed his eyebrows. There was nothing that could make that noise, except… He rushed to stand up, getting closer to the noise and coincidentally Dew’s bag he’d left in a corner of the room. Pop knew it was bad, but he let his hands search through it until they ceased a vibrating rectangle. Dew’s pager.

On it, Dew, please contact me. I’ll come live with you and Pop.  _Or we can go to Chiang Mai._ _I promise I will never bring you back to Pang Noi._ _Please, son._

Pop gulped down his guilt. He felt terrible, having separated Dew from his mom like that. But maybe she was saying the truth. Maybe she’d come to Bangkok and they would all live together. Maybe Dew would get to finish his studies. Pop smiled at the idea. Dew would be happier, that’s for sure.

He got up as he heard steps on the stairs. Dew opened the door to see him stand in front of him with his pager in hand.

“Pop,” he whispered.

“Your mom wants to come live with us,” he replied with a smile. “She’s forgiven you, Dew!”

Dew seemed taken aback by his response. He shook his head. “I don’t think she’s saying the truth, though.”

Pop stared at him. “You don’t seem surprised.”

Dew sighed, coming up to him to take the pager and read the message. “She sends me basically the same message every day. But I don’t think she’d quit Pang Noi since her job is there. I think it’s a trap.”

Pop put a hand on his cheek, caressing lightly. “Have you… tried calling her?”

Dew shook his head. “I’m afraid to feel too guilty.”

“Dew...” he murmured. “Call her. See if she’s saying the truth about us living together. If she is, you’ll be reunited with her. You’ll get to finish high school.”

Dew’s chin was wobbling. “But I’m scared, Pop.”

Pop brought his arms around him and hugged him with all he had. “I know. I’m scared too. But this is a chance for you to repair your relationship with her.”

Pop waited outside of the telephone booth, chewing nervously on his nails. Dew’s head was bowed towards the ground in fear as he put the coin in before dialing the number, letting his body rest against the thin booth wall.

His eyes closed immediately as his voice trembled. “Hey mom.”

Pop couldn’t hear what she was saying but he could imagine she was crying, maybe even screaming. Dew must have felt so much pain from hearing her voice like that.

“I’m sorry, mom.”

As soon as Pop heard the sobs in Dew’s voice, he entered the telephone booth and hugged him. The boy’s hand gripped his back tightly. Pop could hear his mom’s voice mixed with weeping sounds.

“I just want to be with you again, son.”

Dew pulled away from Pop, using his forearm to attempt to dry his tears though new ones were already taking their place. “I want to be with you, mom.”

“Then tell me where you are.”

Pop panicked. “Dew, give me the phone a minute,” he asked.

Once the phone in his hands, he spoke again. “Sorry, I had to interrupt. Truth to be told I want you to be reunited with Dew. I want Dew to be happy again. But how do we know that you won’t tell my family where we are? How do we know that you won’t force us to come back to Pang Noi?”

The woman stayed silent for a while, probably surprised to hear Pop’s voice and even more his questions.

“You can’t know for sure, but I promise you. Firstly I don’t want to get involved between you and your family, but I also just want to see my son again. I’ll move to Bangkok with you guys and you’ll never have to return to Pang Noi ever again.”

Pop furrowed his brows. “How do you know we’re in Bangkok?” Dew stared at him in surprise, mouth agape.

“Pop, we called the police. We went to the train station to ask them for a record of the tickets they sold that night. The cashier remembered two boys that fitted exactly your description.”

Dew took the phone from his hand. “So why haven’t you come to search for us?”

“Dew, Bangkok is huge. We would never find you anyway,” she replied.

Dew nodded though she couldn’t see him. “Then you promise that you won’t trap us?”

“I promise, son.”

Dew was smiling a tiny bit now, and Pop caressed the back of his hair. He felt so relieved and he couldn’t even begin to imagine what Dew was living through.

They waited at the same station they had arrived at almost a month ago. P’Cha and P’Pak stood next to them expectantly as the train entered the station. Pop could feel Dew shake next to him, rightfully so. He was nervous too. He felt both guilty of having taken her son away from her and scared that she would betray her word.

Dew’s hand came to lace with his as soon as she came out of the door, surrounded with noisy crowds and luggage. Pop squeezed his hand as tight as he could without hurting him. She crossed the platforms one by one until she arrived in front of them.

Pop had expected Dew to let go of his hand immediately, but he didn’t. He held it tighter under his mother’s gaze.

“My son,” she said, and Dew threw himself in her arms as he sobbed.

He looked like a little boy like that, all huddled in his mother’s arms. P’Cha put a hand on Pop’s shoulder as he watched that. Somehow it seemed like he knew Pop was thinking about his own matriarch, so kind and loving but so compliant under her husband’s order. He wondered if he’d get to see her again. To hug her tight like Dew was doing.

When they pulled away, she went to wipe the tears on Dew’s face. “I’m here, son. I’m here.”

Dew nodded through his new tears, smiling as to show her he was okay. She turned to Pop and their hosts. She nodded in his direction before turning to the other adults.

“Excuse me but who are you?” she wondered.

P’Cha smiled and shook his head. “It’s no problem. I’m Cha and this is Pak. We lodged and fed those two as well as gave them a job.”

She looked suspicious, as she seemed to think just like Pop before he met them. She probably thought they had abused of them or something in that vein.

“Mom, P’Cha and P’Pak took really good care of us,” Dew chimed in. He glanced at Pop with a slight smirk. “I hope to become like them when I grow up.”

The two older men chuckled while Dew’s mother stare at them in confusion. “What do you want to be?”

“Happy,” Dew shrugged. “Happy with someone who loves me like P’Pak loves P’Cha.”

Her eyes widened as she understood the implications of his words. Dew knocked his shoulder with Pop who grinned. He hadn’t seen that playful side of Dew in a long time. He loved it.

As his mother was still staring at them, his eyes found sight of the suitcase she was carrying. In a swift move, he took it in his hands.

“Let me help you with that.”

She nodded at him. “Thank you.”

That night she slept in their room with Dew, so Pop went to sleep on the couch. It wasn’t very comfortable and he was missing his boyfriend. He’d gotten used to sleeping next to him, even if it had only been a month. In this short amount of time he had managed to get used to the domesticity between them, and he never wanted it to stop.

“Wake up.”

Pop would never get used to the sound of this strident alarm clock. It pierced right through his ears and even Dew’s tender voice couldn’t save it. He hit it hard, making it fall on the floor.

“Five more minutes.”

He felt Dew’s hand caressing his belly softly, right before pinching it so hard Pop jumped out of bed with a scream.

“How dare you?!” he exclaimed.

“You’re gonna be late for work,” Dew declared, sticking his tongue out.

“Is this how you’re gonna play it?” Pop asked, before jumping on top of him on the bed, pushing his arms away and keeping them in place by the wrists. Dew was now smirking as he awaited his revenge.

Pop’s head fell on his neck, mouth and buzzcut hair tickling it profusely. He begged for mercy, body contorting while his eyes were tightly shut.

“Pop, you’re killing me!” he said in between laughs.

Pop stopped for a moment, staring at him from on top of him. He looked so happy. He’d been looking happy for a while. Pop was happy too.

He kissed him softly, wet lips moving swiftly against one another as Dew reciprocated, hands going to his face. They kissed for a while before a knock interrupted them. They sighed in unison. It wasn’t the first time.

“Boys, it’s time to start moving,” Dew’s mom spoke from behind the door. “You don’t wanna be late.”

“We’re coming, mom!” Dew responded, pushing Pop out of bed and going into the bathroom.

“Let me join you,” Pop teased.

“You heard mom, we’re gonna be late,” Dew rolled his eyes before locking the door behind him.

Pop sighed. He’d have to wait until the evening to get some sweet loving. He got up, finding something to wear for when he’d get out of the shower. Whatever. He could wait the whole day for more kisses.

Breakfast was usually pretty silent, the matriarch reading the newspaper as Dew and him ate as fast as they could so as not to be late.

“Your bus will be there in five minutes,” she announced after looking at her watch.

“Shit,” Dew swore, eating one more spoonful before kissing Pop on the cheek and running out of the room.

“Bye bye!”

“What about your mother?” she scolded, still not looking up from her newspaper.

He stopped comically fast, before running back with his school bag in hand to kiss her.

“Bye bye!” he shouted even louder to make a point that he was really leaving for the day.

Pop shook his head as he chuckled. In the beginning, the thought of spending any amount of time with Dew’s mom had been daunting. Now he enjoyed her calming energy.

“Today is a market day, isn’t it?” she inquired.

He nodded. “Yup. It’s gonna be a lot. I also have a few deliveries to do in the afternoon before going to class.”

They got along quite well now, especially since she had found him evening classes for drop outs like him. He insisted of paying for them since they were quite cheap and he could afford it with his salary from P’Cha and P’Pak but still, he appreciated the effort.

“Good luck,” she smiled.

He grinned before waving her goodbye and going out of the house. He hopped on the motorcycle he was able to buy himself after months of saving. It was much quicker than the bike Dew had bought for himself and used to land him before that.

He turned the engine on right as his pager vibrated in his pocket. He smiled as he stared at it.

“Have a good day. I love you.”

As he drove to work, he couldn’t help but grin. He was happy too now, almost as much as Dew. Even though he’d had many doubts in the beginning of all of this, it had indeed been the best solution. To go anywhere but Pang Noi.

**Author's Note:**

> I loved writing from Pop, a self-hating, more introverted character. I found a part of myself in him. I also really enjoyed writing two gay figures in the boys' lives, they truly needed it. It's my headcanon (from my own fic yes) that Pop gets to see his mother once he turns 18 & he doesn't have to be scared to be brought back to Pang Noi anymore.
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed this fic, it took me incredibly long to write bc my inspiration has been really unstable in the past few months. But in the end it was really fun :)


End file.
